Chandigarh, Sept. 9 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has acquitted a Goraya man awarded death penalty by a special court in 2024 for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl.

According to the police complaint, the accused, Gurpreet Singh @Gopi, had kidnapped the girl, who happened to live near his house in February 2021. Police registered a kidnapping case and started investigation. Later, the cops found the mutilated body of the girl from Gopi's house. The criminal case was registered on February 14 for rape and murder on the complaint of her father. A special court in September 2024 had awarded death penalty to the accused, an order challenged by him in high court.

"It seems that the investigating agency found an easy prey in the...